Siberia and the Russian Far East

Explore the remote corners of Russia, including the wild Kamchatka Peninsula, uneasily perched on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and Yakutia, a challenging northern frontier known for mammoths and diamonds. Meet the indigenous peoples of these far-flung locales, and admire two natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites as you contrast the Kingdom of Permafrost in Yakutsk with the steaming Valley of the Geysers in Kamchatka. Read More

Embark on a Grand Tour of Russia, traveling from end to end of the largest country on earth along its waterways and railways. Begin in St. Petersburg, where Peter the Great ordered laborers to dig miles of canals to drain the wetlands along the Gulf of Finland, then board an elegant modern riverboat to follow a leisurely route to Moscow. Discover the classic sites of the capital, then board the luxury Golden Eagle private train on its way east through Siberia to the Pacific Rim city of Vladivostok, counting seven UNESCO World Heritage masterpieces across the miles. Read More

From the capital of Moscow past the Urals into Asia and through Siberia’s dynamic cities, villages and wilderness to the Pacific Ocean, the Trans-Siberian Railway rolls across a third of the globe. This epic journey across the world’s largest country explores parts of Siberia that rail travelers don’t usually experience. The itinerary departs from the main Trans-Siberian line here and there to visit isolated towns bypassed by the busy train traffic and left to fend for themselves in the challenging Siberian hinterlands. Read More

The seldom-traveled Baikal Amur Magistral (BAM for short) runs up and over the top of UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal and east through some of the most remote, roadless taiga in the country, through the radiant Sayan and dramatic Kodra Mountains (sometimes called the “Russian Alps”), and over miles of tundra where lichen and tiny bushes struggle for a foothold on the permafrost. Outside the windows of the train is some of the most glorious and unspoiled scenery in the world. Read More

Beautiful and exotic, Siberia and Mongolia are worlds away from the traditional beaten path. Explore the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, then fly to the red sands of the Gobi Desert. Celebrate a country Naadam Festival, far from the glitz and ruckus of the capital. In Siberia, take to the waters of great Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake on earth, and ride a section of the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway.Read More

Near the shores of UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, survey the Mongolian, Cossack, Buryat and Buddhist heritage of south Siberia, and admire its overwhelming natural beauty. Take a short trip on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway and continue to Listvyanka, a small village situated on the shore of Lake Baikal. Explore Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Republic and center of Buddhism in Russia.Read More

When you think of Siberia, you may think of punishment and exile, of barren tundra and vast expanses of nothingness – of a place of no return. But Siberia is a wild and wooded place of unimaginable beauty, whose cities glow with warmth even in winter. When snow bends the evergreen boughs in a Zhivago-esque backdrop, UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal freezes so hard that you can walk on water, race teams of sled dogs, and fish through the ice. Experience the rare opportunity to sweep across the frozen lake by hovercraft to sacred Olkhon Island, the place where the indigenous Buryat people believe the gods of Baikal once lived — an unparalleled slice of real Siberian life. Read More

Russia is fantastic in the winter. The country is at its most beautiful, the crackling air burnished by a fresh snowfall. Across Siberia, the far-away lights of the Trans-Siberian flash through the darkness like a moving beacon. Join us on this remarkable winter route.An eastbound Moscow to Vladivostok winter departure is also available. The Trans-Siberian route between Moscow and Vladivostok also has summer and fall departures, eastbound and westbound.Read More

Russia is fantastic in the winter. The country is at its most beautiful, the crackling air burnished by a fresh snowfall. Across Siberia, the faraway lights of the Trans-Siberian shine through the darkness like a moving beacon. Join us on this remarkable winter route.A westbound Vladivostok to Moscow winter departure is also available. The Trans-Siberian route between Moscow and Vladivostok also has summer and fall departures, eastbound and westbound.Read More

Glide from the metropolis of Moscow, where Red Square and St. Basil’s have become the symbols of Russia, all the way to Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar. Travel the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway aboard the luxury Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express private train. Experience the vastness of Siberia’s taiga forest, fields and grasslands and explore some of its singular cities. Disembark in Ulaanbaatar, a burgeoning city populated by former nomads.Read More

Traveler Reviews

Discover the arresting natural beauty and spirited cultures of the North Caucasus on this rail journey powered by Soviet-era steam locomotives. Admire mountain vistas on the scenic North Caucasus Railway, making stops in the Chechen capital of Grozny, recently rebuilt after years of conflict, and lively Vladikavkaz. Tour the famed mineral spa resorts of Mineralnye Vody, Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk, and enjoy a rare opportunity to ride one of Russia’s few remaining narrow-gauge railways through beautiful Gaumsky Canyon.